The Gordon Conference on the Red Cell will provide an informal forum for current advances and directions in this rapidly developing field. Sessions will be devoted to the structure and assembly of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton and membrane; the erythrocytic stage of the malaria parasite; erythropoiesis, especially the role of oncogenes and protein factors; the regulation of globin and non-globin gene expression; and manipulation of erythrocyte-specific gene expression and gene transfer. These topics are closely interrelated yet involve such diverse disciplines that investigators would benefit greatly from this meeting.